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Udaipur waits for more showers to fill its lakes

TNN | Updated: Aug 20, 2019, 12:33 IST

Fateh Sagar Lake is the prime source of drinking water for residents

UDAIPUR: Many parts of the state have witnessed flood like situation but residents of Udaipur continue to wait for the lakes to fill with water. After continuous inflow from rain-fed Sisarma River, Pichhola Lake is almost at nine feet while water level at Fateh Sagar Lake is still one feet below the sill level. The catchment areas of the Fateh Sagar Lake is spread in around 40.6 sq km while its water holding capacity is 83.8 lakh cubic metres. On an average 12 to 15 million litres of water is lifted from the lake daily as it is the prime source of drinking water. Experts have said that it would require a second strong spell of heavy rains before the water reaches the brim and overflows. Before the onset of monsoon, the district administration had even taken up desilting project to increase the water holding capacity of Fateh Sagar Lake. The desilting process had deepened the lake by increasing its catchment area that would allow more water in the rainy season and will help preserve water for long during weak monsoon.

“It is important to contribute in sustainable management of Fateh Sagar Lake as it is the life line of Udaipur’s city tourism,” said GP Soni, a member of committee constituted by high court on lakes of Udaipur. “Monsoon fail last year coupled with the deficit rainfall so far has decreased the water levels in Fateh Sagar Lake. Badi Lake has excess storage capacity as compared to the availability of water and therefore it overflows once in ten years,” Soni informed. Surface area of the Badi Lake is far less than Pichhola Lake due to which evaporation losses are quite less than other lakes, he added.